Snakes Embrace
by kyokoaurora
Summary: Ayame forgets his coat one cold, cold, day. And he transforms. Who could have guessed what that would lead to? Bad summary, read anyway. AyaMine


Snakes Embrace

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Disclaimer: I don't own Furuba. This fic seems flaky for a little bit but then it gets to the point okay? Just give it a chance.

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"Alright Sir, I'll bring it over now! Thank you!" Ayame hung up the phone.

"Mine!" he called. "Yes Boss?" she answered from somewhere. "I'm delivering an order myself. I might not be back for a while" he replied. "Okay Boss!"

He picked up a parcelled box, slipped a pretty bag over it and, setting off the bell as he left, walked out.

'_It's a nice day'_ Ayame thought as he strolled along a wooded path that people rarely used. The air was fresh and filled with the scents of nature after a cleansing rain

A sharp breeze whished through the trees at that moment and made the snake shiver and hug his silken arms tightly to himself. 'But it is cold…' Ayame then realised why. He slapped his forehead in exasperation. "I forgot my coat!" he cried to any unseen squirrels that might be eavesdropping. "Should I go back?" he wondered. No, he decided, he was already over half the way there, he would manage.

So, walking far faster than before, he resumed his course.

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The sun had set on the horizon when Mine looked at it. _'Nearly closing time'_ she thought. The Boss still wasn't back yet, but that wasn't really anything to worry about, he was probably having tea with the client.

'_I should be locking up soon'_ Mine thought. Ayame had given her a key anyway in the event that he wasn't in the shop at closing time. The job was unpredictable, and the man wasn't the shrewdest of timekeepers.

The woman sighed and smiled. He was nuts, but that was what she liked about him, she realised, blushing a tiny bit. She didn't think he had a clue about the feelings she nursed for him. And probably never would, she thought somewhat sadly. She valued their friendship to the point where the threat of it dying away frightened her.

Mine frowned a bit and tried to clear her mind of the depressing thoughts. _'There's no point dwelling on it Mine'_ she told herself with a heavy sigh. So she went back to tidying away her sewing.

After a while spied several lengths of gingham draped over an armchair and she pulled them off. As she did though, something else that was under them slid to the floor. Mine reached down to pick it up. It turned out to be Ayame's coat.

She held it for several seconds, wondering what she should do with it. Mine was very puzzled. The Boss never left his coat behind, ever. He had what could be called a phobia about the cold. So how could he have forgotten it? It was a great mystery.

A bell chimed somewhere reminding her of the time. She started at it slightly, and made a decision. _'I'll leave it here and he'll find it in the morning'_ she thought and put it back where she'd left it.

As Mine left the shop and began the walk home, she couldn't help but feel a little strange about the whole thing. It just didn't feel right.

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Ayame gazed at the snowflakes falling upon the leaf strewn ground with open mouthed and wide eyed dismay. _'This is terrible!'_ he thought in panic.

He had just his client's house some minutes earlier, having been invited to stay for dinner, once again choosing to trust in Lady Luck to get him back before the weather worsened. But it looked like the good lady was taking a sick day, because the brewing snowstorm he had stepped so optimistically into was showing no signs of abating at all. In fact, the stuff seemed to have gotten heavier in the last minute.

He shuddered as a violent shiver ran the length of his body. _'Oh this is very bad'_ he thought worriedly. How was he ever going to get home at this rate? He was already starting to lose what little body heat he had managed to retain until now.

"I'll just have to keep going and hope for the best" he hissed to no one and hunching low, continued his trudge through the snow.

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Mine looked at the traffic congestion with distaste. She was really glad she didn't drive at times like this, especially as she heard a bored child roar from a car and the equally bored mother yell at them to shut up. Why would you want to drive today anyway? she wondered, smiling at the falling snowflakes. It was more fun to just grab your hat and gloves and walk home in the crisp air. Unless you were exceptionally cold sensitive, she amended.

'_Like Ayame'_ her mind offered. She shook it off uneasily. "I'll call him when I get home" she resolved.

Mine decided to go home the scenic route, along a woodland path the Boss had showed her once. It was very pretty and she was sure that it would be even prettier with the trees all covered in sparkling icicles.

It was a pleasant walk, and she was sorry when it was almost over. The gates were in sight in the distance and she hurried a little. A flash of purple caught her eyes however, and they widened marginally. Hoping to goodness that it wasn't what she thought it was, she rushed over.

Mine couldn't believe her eyes. It was what she had thought it was. Ayame's clothes lay pooled on the ground, but the cause for real alarm was that he wasn't wearing them. _No one_ was. He wasn't there.

She was beginning to panic. They couldn't belong to anyone else. She could even see a row of stitching she had once put in to repair a tear on the inside of a sleeve. This made no sense! The only thing she could think of was that he had suddenly decided he loved the cold and wanted to make naked snow angels.

"WHAT AM I THINKING!?!?" she screamed. Really not thinking properly by this time, she scooped up the clothes and ran all the way home.

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Ayame rose from the blissful darkness known as sleep to feel himself being shaken violently. He opened his slitted eyes to see…nothing. He tried to move. He couldn't. That's when he figured out what had happened, and had he had the organs necessary for such an action, he would've groaned.

He had passed out and transformed. And was still that way, obviously, wrapped in his clothes. He wanted to kick himself but he didn't have the limbs for that either. Nor for that matter, the space. He wriggled a little bit. Nope, couldn't move. It appeared that someone was carrying his clothes, and most likely, was unaware of his presence.

'_This is why Yuki calls me an idiot'_ Ayame realised with mounting gloom. This could be the worst thing that had ever happened to him, besides rejecting Yuki as a child. He didn't know the gender of whoever was carrying him, and even if he did, he wasn't sure their grip on the material qualified as hugging anyway. Praying that he would stay sufficiently weak to maintain his animal form, Ayame settled in for a bumpy ride.

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Mine burst through the door of her apartment, totally frenzied. She dropped the clothes onto the sofa and grabbed the phone, dialling the Boss's number. Several ring outs and voicemails later, she had nothing.

Meanwhile, from what Ayame could hear from the muffled sound he could catch, his saviour was female. But beyond that he had no idea who she was. He wondered what to do. Should he find a vent and hide there, or should he just hope that they wouldn't examine the clothes closely so he could escape while they were asleep?

The decision was taken from him when he was suddenly turned vertically and he slid through the sleeve onto the carpet. Dazed, he looked up at the shocked face peering at him and blinked his great yellow eyes in astonishment. _Mine_.

She was equally shocked that a snake fell out when she lifted the robes. For a moment, animal in disguise and dressmaker in denial stared at each other. And once again, the decision was taken from Ayame whether to bolt or not when an intense tingling began in his body.

'_**NO!!!'**_ he screamed inwardly and tried desperately to suppress it, to no avail.

The woman was thrown even more when a glittering, shimmering cloud of mist came into being and surrounded the animal. Mine heard a faint pop and watched in disbelief as a man's form began to emerge from the haze.

"B-B-B-BOSS?" she half stammered, half screamed, at the sight of the very naked Ayame sprawled out on her carpet. He grabbed his clothes and covered himself with them, but said nothing. Mine sank backwards, falling into a chair. She weakly looked at him, silently pleading for an explanation.

"What's going on?" she whispered.

Ayame gulped. "I'll…get dressed, and then I'll tell you everything" he told her, and then left the room.

Mine just stared after him.

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Ayame stood outside the door, hoping that Mine had taken the time to calm down while he dressed. He peeked around the door. She was sitting at the kitchen table now, looking down. She hadn't seen him yet. He gave a tiny cough, alerting her to his presence as he walked in.

He seated himself across from her at the table. "I owe you an explanation" he sighed. "Yes, you do" she replied quietly.

"Mine, I've never lied to you, except out of necessity and only about…this. Please believe me when I say that and take it to heart, for what I'm about to tell you is going to require all your faith in me" he said firmly. Shaking slightly, she nodded.

Taking a deep breath, he started. "I presume you know about the Chinese Zodiac, and the twelve spirits…"

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Much later, Mine's fear had faded completely and she was listening to Ayame's tale with rapt attention. The snake was pleasantly surprised by this turnaround. Rather than being disgusted and fearful like he had expected, once she had learned of the curse, she had become interested and was even asking questions.

"And what about Shigure-san, Hatori-san and Yuki-kun?" she asked eagerly. "They are the dog, the dragon, and the rat respectively" he answered her with a smile.

Mine leant back in her chair and laughed. "Well Boss, that is some story! First you tell me that you transform into the snake from the Chinese Zodiac and then, you say that half your family have other spirits too! It's just…wow, is all" Ayame laughed too. "I'm glad you've taken it this way. I'm…relieved"

She looked puzzled then. "Why Boss?" she asked him innocently. Ayame marvelled at her. _'She really is perfect, to be able to accept this. Maybe that's why I've fallen in love with her'_ he thought sadly

He returned to her question. "Because, few people ever find out about the Sohma curse, and those who do usually have to have their memories erased, because they react with fear or revulsion and might let our secret out" he told her.

Mine looked thoughtful at this. She spoke slowly. "Then, does this mean, that if I had been afraid even after you explained, you would have had to erase my memories?"

Ayame nodded slowly. "Unfortunately, yes. I would. Well, not me, Hatori-san is the only one who can do that"

"Oh, alright"

"Even so, I will have to inform Akito-sama that you know about the curse. And I don't know if he will decide to erase your memories or not" Ayame sighed. "Our head of house is somewhat…" he trailed off, a strained expression coming on his face. Mine reached over and laid a hand on his. "It's okay" she said, patting it comfortingly. She had gauged from his telling that the head of household was a controlling and dominating presence, and that talking about them was a kind of taboo.

"I understand" she told him quietly. "If this Akito-sama does decide to do this, I will understand. I will be sad though"

"So will I" Ayame sighed "So will I" A sudden surge of determination flowed through him. Mine had listened to him and despite the curse, had remained his friend. Possibly she wouldn't remember any of this, but he had to try. He rose from his chair and walked around to her side of the table. She stared at him surprised.

"I've wanted to tell you about this for so long Mine, but I couldn't. And because of that there was something else I couldn't do" he said shakily.

With wide eyes, she waited for him. He swallowed and then moved so that she couldn't see his eyes but he but could whisper in her ear. "I couldn't tell you…that I'm in love with you"

Mine gasped. Ayame didn't move, evidently seeing this as a negative reaction. His head drooped, he was going to be rejected. She watched all of this and her heart broke for the suffering he must have gone through, working with her every day, yet being unable to show his true feelings. But all that was about to change.

Turning very slightly, she caught Ayame's chin and gently lifted it from the curtain of hair that masked his sadness. His golden orbs bored into her, not knowing what to do and what she was going to say to his impromptu declaration.

"I was so afraid" she breathed, watching as his eyes widened. "I was so afraid that you wouldn't feel the same for me. I thought I was just a good friend, and I didn't want to ruin that by telling you and you having to turn me down. I've loved you from the day we met, Ayame" she fell silent as she finished her speech.

Ayame felt like he would faint from hearing those words, but he didn't. Instead, he smiled at her and kissed her so very gently on her soft lips, waiting for her to respond. She did, and they savoured the warmth of each other. Things became a little more heated when Ayame licked her bottom lip snakelike and she willingly let him in. Mine cupped his face in her hands and moaned softly as he tasted her mouth, and tentatively brought her tongue to dance with his.

When it ended, they rested with foreheads touching, her hands still his face, and his resting on her shoulders.

"I can't offer you much" Ayame whispered to her. "I can't even embrace you properly. The curse may never be broken. But I can say that I will love you truly, always, Mine" She smiled gently at him. "That's enough for me" she said softly. "Your love is an embrace in itself"

He buried his face in her hair. "Thank you" he breathed. He wouldn't let this be taken away, he would fight Akito if she tried to, it wouldn't happen. He wouldn't let it.

Snowflakes fell again outside and he watched them, giving a blessing for their occurrence.

And so it happened, that while pure white snow fell upon the world below, two loves held each other, locked forever in the snakes embrace.

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OMG IT'S DONE!!! Nearly six pages in Word and many hours. But I love it. I didn't think it would turn out this good, but this pairing and KyokoxDaisuke from Heat Guy J seem to bring out the best in me. I really like it, and I hope you guys do too. I'm sorry if there are many spelling errors, I don't have time to proofread now, and I'm crap at it besides.

Another thing, I know there is stuff in there that could make a sequel but its unintentional and I don't think there will be one. I want you all to assume that she kept her memories, because I love happy endings and I would never do the opposite.

Oh, one thing. Please don't say its OOC because I don't think it is. Ayame isn't gonna be hippy in that kind of situation.

There you are Loretta537, your cursed Ayame one-shot. I hope it meets your expectations :)

Please reward my hard work and review!


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